Tips

You don’t need to be a fitness expert to be aware of the fact that in order to obtain your dream physique, it’s not enough to hit the gym as hard as you can. Nutrition plays a very important role in this transformation process and if you’re after building some serious muscle, you don’t need just those magic protein powders some people keep talking about. No, it’s all about the muscle food, containing nutrients that boost your energy and speed recovery before and a er the gym.

There have been numerous debates on which are the best so-called muscle foods and the complete list can take hours to go through. However, we made a short selection and decided on a few of the best options you have as an athlete looking forward to looking his or her best!

Yes, yogurt is a healthy choice, as long as it’s plain, without any added sweeteners, but Greek yogurt is actually the choice of champions. Loaded with muscle-nourishing nutrients, it can be one of your best workout partners.

“It’s a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, which are good for muscles,” says Ilyse Schapiro, a registered dietitian.

Rich in protein, cottage cheese is another muscle food you should include in your diet. Also, it’s excellent for maintenance, thanks to all the calcium and vitamin B12 it contains.
Always opt for low-fat varieties, since a cup has just 163 calories, but 28 grams of protein, as much as four eggs.

Speaking about them, it’s worth mentioning that eggs are some of the top sources of protein, each of them containing up to seven grams. If you’re usually opting for high-intensity workouts, it’s recommended to consume 14 grams of protein, so two eggs are perfect for a meal.

With 39 grams per serving, it’s obvious that wild salmon has a high protein content and it’s among the best muscle foods you can pick. Besides this, its benefits list is completed by the omega-3 fatty acids it contains, great for maintaining a healthy heart and keeping all the inflammation away.

Just make sure you always buy wild and not farmed salmon, as the latter is usually plumped with fishmeal and is high in polychlorinated biphenyls, chemicals that lead to endocrine disruption.

We know, you love it, but what if we told you that it can play an essential role in your mission to the perfect body? Add chocolate milk to your essential pre- and post- workout snacks list and you will quickly observe its benefits.

Specifically, its naturally occurring electrolytes will keep you hydrated, not to mention that its sweetness will ‘inject’ energy into muscles, making it equally good after a workout session.

There are situations in which you feel tired after working out, even though you follow a tailored diet. However, this shouldn’t be a reason to panic, since a massage session can fix everything. Orlando Male Massage is the place where you can enjoy it, in a peaceful and warm atmosphere, during a session custom tailored to meet your individual needs.

There are several ways through which you can obtain better athletic results, but there are also some relatively unknown things you can try and be amazed by how your performance improves. For example, how many of you know about beet root’s performance benefits?
Nowadays, a lot of athletes and active adults are trying to find out as much as possible about nutrient-dense foods, since it is well known that they can improve athletic performance. One of the most interesting facts is that beets have proven to have a significant impact on the body’s functions during a fitness session. As a side note, beetroot juice is considered one of the most popular ergogenic supplements. But still, what makes it a real nutritional powerhouse?

It’s all about the nutrients

Beetroot has multiple uses, mainly as a food source, but it’s also used medicinally, while its popularity as an ergogenic supplement is constantly growing. It can be found in several shapes and colors, but the red one is by far the most common.

As for its ‘technical analysis’, it’s an amazing source of potent antioxidants, not to mention its increase nitrate levels. But how is this helpful for your fitness sessions? Studies indicate that vegetables with high levels of nitrate can help you in your attempt to achieve top athletic performances, being a chemical naturally occurring in certain foods and converted into nitric oxide when consumed.

Therefore, it’s obvious that consuming beet juice regularly will increase the nitric oxide levels in your body. According to researchers, this automatically increases blood flow and has other benefits, like improving lung functions and strengthening muscle contraction. All these, combined, result in improved cardiorespiratory endurance and performance, performance benefits essential for athletes.

Skyrocketing cardiorespiratory fitness

One of the most important aspects both athletes and overall active adults care about is cardiorespiratory fitness. Specifically, we’re talking a component of physical fitness, which refers to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to provide oxygen to working muscles, during intense fitness sessions.

So, where does beetroot juice come in? The nitric oxide it contains helps this process, actually increasing cardiorespiratory performance and improving muscle function. And this is not all, since it also opens up your blood vessels, increasing the flow and offering more oxygen to all your working muscles.

Finally, let’s not forget that nitric oxide functions as a signaling molecule, which communicates with cells and tissues, ensuring more blood flow to your muscles, as well as proper oxygen intake inside the muscle.

When is beetroot juice not helpful?

Even though it looks like a wonder-vegetable, there are situations in which beetroot and the juice made from it aren’t that helpful.

A lot of studies have shown that the juice itself can significantly improve athletic performance, but most of the research took place under normal environmental conditions. If you tend to work out in high altitude, you are – even though you’re not aware of this – placing additional demands on your body.

Increased nitrate levels in the blood after consuming beet juice are common for regular training environments, but a change in elevation has an effect on how it affects the body. The idea is simple: the oxygen is decreased as a response to a reduction in oxygen pressure at a higher elevation.

If you want to find out more about the benefits of this amazing vegetable, as well as other tips on how to improve your fitness, Douglas Powell, from Orlando Male Massage, has all the answers. Appoint a massage session, custom tailored to your individual needs, and you will leave completely relaxed and loaded with information about living a healthy life.

If you are feeling sleepy in the afternoon, then you could probably refresh yourself with some coffee. But, even if you think about going to bed early, you should know what might disturb the sleeping cycle. So, as you scroll ahead you can check out the reasons why you are unable to sleep.

Visiting the gym later during the day

Running on the treadmill can surely increase the dopamine level or neurotransmitters that make you feel good. This might seem to be good especially when you planning to fall asleep in an hour or so. But, if you exercise before bedtime, then it wouldn’t help you to sleep. You might feel to do some work when your mind is fresh. If you can’t go for a workout much before the sun sets, then think about exercises that are related to maintaining men’s health. To calm down your body and mind, you can either try yoga or tai chi.

Taking too much caffeine

Due to the presence of caffeine, coffee can help to enhance the power if it’s taken before a workout or after you have woken up in the morning. But, in case you are having it at 2 pm in the afternoon, then it might be tough to sleep. Moreover, you should check the labels of sports drinks or supplements that add on to men’s health. If you come across an ingredient that affects sleep, then you shouldn’t use it.

Additionally, you shouldn’t think about weight-loss drugs that may contain caffeine. On the other hand, you should be careful while drinking green tea because it can also contain caffeine.

In case you need to take a supplement, then always check the constituents and seek the opinion of the doctor.

Checking notifications on the phone

If you are going to check emails every time during the day and night, then it may be difficult to sleep. Simply keeping a smartphone within the arm’s reach can also disturb you when it’s time to go to bed. Working late at night can also build up the stress and have a negative impact on men’s health. This eventually makes things tough even when you need to rest at night.

So, it’s always a good idea to set limits for checking emails and switching off the smartphone two hours before bedtime. Disconnecting yourself from what’s happening online can help you relax and fall asleep in no time.

Watching too much television

Bright light from the television or the smartphone can actually trick the mind with the thought that it’s morning. The lights signals not only affect men’s health but may also disrupt the sleep. So, whatever might be the case, you should keep yourself away from the television even if you are tempted to switch it on. Simply lying down on the bed is the effective way to fall asleep. Alternatively, you can use iPhone’s “Night Shift” feature, that changes the screen’s color to light red and helps you doze off faster.

Drinking too much alcohol

Though alcohol helps to relax, it may affect men’s heath and interfere with the usual sleep cycle. In case you’re planning to have a cocktail or beer, then you may wake up in the middle of the night. But, if you had your last drink two hours before bedtime then you can have a sound sleep.

Orlando male massage is always offered by a compassionate and knowledgeable professional. The experience is quite unique when the person is relieved from stress and discomfort. As the person is led to a studio, the professional always keep everything confidential.

There are many factors that arise whenever an individual experiences a relaxing and enjoyable massage. But, in order to get the most of the chiropractic treatment, there are some tips the person needs to follow. This would not only help to enhance the experience but also would refresh the individual.

Choose the best therapist

Finding a therapist depending on your needs and your personality can actually bring in satisfaction. Every therapist follows a unique approach and focuses on specific areas. So, before taking any step, you should do a little bit of research and ensure that the approach is as per your expectations and goals.

Speaking about backaches or pains is always better before the expert starts off with the session. This would help you know whether your needs are met during the chiropractic treatment.

It is better to go through the therapist’s resume and certifications in case you are searching for a solution for specific problems or issues. Moreover, being honest and straightforward can certainly help to know the purpose of the treatment from the beginning.

Be well prepared

Running late for the session would only ruin the experience because you won’t be giving sufficient time for the mind and body to relax. So, to gain benefits, you should be 15 minutes before the session actually starts. As you step inside the spa, a few minutes are spent in filling out a form, using the restroom and keeping yourself calm after the stressful day.

As soon as you lie down on the table, you would be requested to take a few breaths. This serves to be helpful because it would clear the mind and prepare your body.

If you need the expert to start massaging the body immediately, then you must drink adequate amount of water and enjoy a shower to keep the body warm. As the shower helps in loosening up the muscles, the body would relax in a much better way. The therapist would also start working on the muscles and break up lactic acid throughout the entire session.

Keep your belongings aside

For a better experience, you should keep your worries and belongings aside much before you step into the room. Both clients and therapists need to keep away things that can actually distract them.

As a therapist, it’s always a good idea to leave personal things next to the door. The client would be recommended to carry out stretching and breathing exercises so that he is completely prepared for the treatment.

Follow a post-massage routine

Soon after the treatment, you must return home and enjoy a hot bath with Epsom salt mixed in water. As you spend a few minutes inside the bathroom, your muscles would relax and you would be relieved from soreness. Light stretching exercises and drinking lots of water can also help the mind and body to calm down.

The best time to go for a massage is when you know that you have enough time to relax. You would be able to enjoy the benefits only when you go through the treatment and you would be busy throughout the day.

Orlando Male massage is carried out by an experienced and knowledgeable professional. The person goes through the massage inside a studio which is warm and peaceful. At every instance, the professional respects privacy and keeps every single confidential.

Running and striding are two of the most effective forms of workouts that have been vetted by health experts and medical specialists. When it comes to running a long distance in one go, say 3-4 miles, your body naturally gets thoroughly exhausted at the end of the run. When you find yourself huffing and puffing, trying to catch your breath, carrying out a few stretching exercises will go a long way in enabling you to calm down gradually.

At the same time, your nimbleness and flexibility will receive a boost as a result of stretching out your limbs and torso following a round of running. In order to make the most of your stretches, it is strongly recommended that you perform the same immediately after you’re through with running when the sinews and ligaments are agitated and more flexible. Exhale and inhale consistently and deeply while you stretch and the stretches should be done in a manner which makes you feel a wee bit uncomfortable and taut.
Normally, these stretch outs should not cause you any pain but in case you do, you should stop immediately and get in touch with a physician without delay.

Hip Stretch: Stay Put for 15 Seconds

Stand in an erect posture and bring your left leg ahead. At the same time, do not bend the right leg or thrust your butt out. Now, try bending the left leg (which is in forward position) while arching backwards and at the same time, drive the right buttock to the fore. Keep performing this stretching till you feel the stress on the right hip. Repeat this stretch exercise with the right leg.

Thigh Stretch for 15 Seconds

Take hold of the left foot from behind, and slowly try pushing the toe in the direction of the left buttock. This helps in drawing out the left thigh’s front. See to it that the knees mildly brush against each other and keep yourself perfectly ramrod while conducting the stretches. Follow the same stretching pattern with the other leg.

15 Seconds Hamstring Stretch

Put the right leg forward and place your wrists firmly on the hips. Raise the toes of your right leg and try bending the left leg. Arch towards the right leg without bending back. Repeat this exercise with the left leg.

15 Seconds Stretching of Iliotibial Band

Place the left leg in front of the right in order to stretch the right ITB and tilt towards the left while pushing out the right hip. Do not attempt to go forward or jut out your buttocks. Repeat the process with the right leg.

Calf Stretch: 15 Seconds

Bring the right leg forward and bend it all the time keeping the left leg straight so as to put the stress on the calf muscles at the left leg’s back. Repeat this stretch with the left leg.

Lower Back and Buttock Stretches: Each for 15 Seconds

Lie down on the floor in a supine position and keep both the legs straight. Slowly raise the right knee and pull it towards the chest in order to feel the stress on the lower back. Hold the position for 15 seconds, then repeat the procedure with the other knee, and finally do the exercise with the knees together.

For stretching the buttocks, raise the knees while lying on the floor with the leg positioned straight. Next, try crossing the left leg atop the left thigh, and firmly hold the left thigh’s back with both the hands, and bring the left leg in front of the chest. Do this same workout with the right leg.

The numerous and varied benefits of exercising on a routine basis have long been known to mankind. Starting from fitness experts to medical professionals to sportspersons and even ordinary men and women are well aware of the health benefits of workouts. You can exercise in different ways including but not limited to walking, cycling, running, swimming, jogging, weightlifting, and bodybuilding for boosting your mood, keeping your weight under control, and sleeping soundly at night.

Following are some of the most significant health benefits that you can take advantage of when you maintain a workout regimen.

1. Exercises go a long way in combating diseases and keeping disorders at bay
Existing in the 21st century is tantamount to putting up with stress. Stress has become an inevitable and unavoidable factor in modern-day living and there’s hardly anybody who does not suffer from stress to a certain extent. Anxiety and tension contribute majorly towards our suffering from a host of lifestyle diseases like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

One time-honored and effective way of dealing with lifestyle diseases as well as preventing or delaying the onset of health conditions is to physically exerting yourself habitually. Exercising routinely will go a long way in preventing or coping with symptoms associated with heart attacks, strokes, depression, a range of cancers, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

2. Workouts help keep weight under control
Enough studies and researches have been conducted which have established that exercise helps keep you fit and slim. In fact, exercising customarily will enable you to burn excess calories thus keeping your from putting on weight which make you obese. You may not always find the time to hit the gym five or six times in a week, even if you have the inclination, owing to your busy schedule.

But if you are sincere about keeping your weight under control, then you will always find the time to climb the stairs, jog for a mile, and walk to the department store for fetching your daily necessities.

3. Exercises keep you energetic all through the day
Lifting weights, running on the treadmill or running for half an hour early in the morning will aid in keeping your bones, muscles, tissues, and bodily organs in perfect working order.

4. Exercises boost up your mood
Given the hectic lifestyles we lead nowadays, it is not uncommon to be stressed out at the end of the working day and feel dispirited. Engaging in some form of physical activity like brisk walking or running at a controlled pace even for just 20-30 minutes can recharge your batteries and make you feel refreshed.

5. Workouts help you to lead an active sexual life
Making the most of your sex life and exercising go hand in hand. Exercising every day will get you in the mood for enjoying an aggressive romp with your partner.

6. Exercises contribute greatly to sleeping soundly at night
Visiting the gym or exercising in the comfort of your home will let you fall asleep within 5-10 minutes of hitting the sack. However, do not exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime.

7. Exercises help to connect with nature and become sociable
Cycling, jogging or walking offers you the opportunity of connecting with nature and going on a hiking or camping trip help broaden your social network.

The effectiveness of time-honored strategy of blending a standardized workout regimen with a balanced dieting program has been overwhelmingly proved when it comes to losing weight. Nevertheless, for a significant proportion of individuals, this combo therapy has not been able to deliver the goods for reasons, the discussion of which is not the objective of this article. Unfortunately for these persons, the popular alternative weight loss techniques, more often than not, come to naught.
It won’t be an exaggeration to state in this context that in order to sustain a good quality of life, it becomes indispensable to lose excess weight and maintain a slim and trim physique. However, if conventional weight loss methods have not worked for you, you can still expect the desired results by trying out other means. For instance, you can hire a professional masseur who will massage your entire body in a manner that will eventually enable you to get rid of the excess flab around your abdomen, waist, and the thighs.

1. Massages can go a long way in stimulating metabolism
There are countless individuals that tend to put on weight inordinately owing to a metabolic rate which is slower than normal, eventually making them obese. A sluggish metabolic rate implies that your digestion is delayed which in turn delays the assimilation of nutrients by the body. Those with slow metabolism also tend to become fatty and the entire mechanism of gaining weight is exacerbated during periods of stress that has become unavoidable nowadays.
Significantly enough, a specialized massage that endeavors to melt the obstinately sitting fat by accelerating the calorie torching mechanism, can fast track a slow metabolic rate. Additionally, massages can be efficacious in getting relief from stress that causes one to binge and put on unwanted pounds.

2. Massages help shed flab and buildup of muscle mass
A massage can contribute significantly towards your losing the unwarranted fat that has the tendency to buildup primarily around the abdomen and waist regions. However a single or onetime massaging session will simply not be enough. If you wish to realize the outcome you are looking forward to then hiring an experienced masseur for multiple sessions will become imperative.
You’ll observe how a significant amount of the accumulated fat is transformed into muscle tissues once you have been through a few massaging sessions. A seasoned professional with several years of experience under his or her belt is well versed with the special kneading techniques for encouraging muscle growth and development. Massages, on the other hand, will also let your body weed out unwanted and damaging toxins.

3. Massages work great in helping drain out water from the body
Many individuals who are finding it difficult to melt fat by exploiting the traditional weight loss techniques will be pleasantly surprised to know a considerable proportion of the additional weight is comprised of water. Cells tend to absorb and retain the excessive water in the body that usually leads to cellulite. This is where a robust massage can work wonders activating the dermatological cells to give up the extra water and relieving cellulite.
Rounding up, it can be inferred that massaging sessions will work best (with respect to weight loss) when you stick to wholesome diets as well as persevere with your exercise program.
You can contact Douglas Powell at 407-325-8866 for scheduling a massaging therapy or log in at www.orlandomalemassage.com for complete details.

Scientists at Stanford University in California have recently found that physical fitness and exercise are not only reliant on your physical activities and performance, but also your psychological activities and well being.

Trusted study author Octavia Zahrt, Ph.D., noted that perception can either positively or negatively influence your fitness levels and mental health. In other words, experts are realizing, through clinical trials of studying human subjects that not only do people underestimate their current activity levels, but also the roles everyday activities might play in improving your health.

Experts say that often, people will perceive themselves as ‘underperforming’ or not meeting the necessary daily exercise based on the people they commonly surround themselves with or observe in their everyday environment. And, in many studies over the years it has been proven time and time again that the anxiety or stress related to worries of a lack of sufficient fitness can likewise negatively impact your health and even weight.

For many people, just working every day, or taking care of your home and kids around the house can easily be at least half, if not 100% of the recommended levels of physical activities, according to the American Heart Association.

Drs. Zahrt and Crum also recently published findings in the weekly Health Psychology journal that illustrates that at least 80 percent of Americans do not get the required amount of recommended daily exercise. This, however, does not mean that they aren’t ‘close’ to doing so, as often individuals are unaware of just how much is ‘enough.’

A recent clinical study at Stanford University included the observation of 87 hotel room attendants, across seven different hotels to observe their BMI, waist to hip ratio, blood pressure, and weight loss over the course of just four weeks. Ironically enough, all of the participants showed tremendous improvements in their physical health, just based on the exercise they get at work every day alone.

Another concept that scientific researchers are trying to push more to the public is, if and when you are made aware of ‘ or research ‘ your current activity and exercise levels, doing so may very well effectively motivate you to work out MORE!

Positive thinking also goes a long way, as the stress and anxiety of everyday work, school, or family can quickly land people into unwanted spouts of depression, overeating, under eating, and overall missing sufficient sleep necessary to be healthy and efficiently manage their weight.

Consuming added or refined sugars in copious amounts on a daily basis could be fatal. Adding two teaspoons of sugar every time you consume a cup of coffee or tea or add spoonfuls to your milkshake during breakfast increases your chances of dying prematurely from heart disease. And it is not that only obese people were exposed to death risks resulting from consumption of high amounts of processed sugars.

Even people with normal weights who ordinarily consume 2000 calories every day were at high risk of jeopardizing their health if they drank too many cups of tea or coffee laced with sugars or consumed sweetened colas. A report on a groundbreaking study which appeared in an issue of the ‘JAMA Internal Medicine’ corroborated the above claim. The calories in the added sugars that a typical American consumes each constitute nothing less than 10% of his total calorific intake on a daily basis.

However, one out of every ten Americans takes added sugars whose calorie content makes up 25% of their total calorie consumption. The study which was spread over a 15-year period endeavored to establish a correlation between heart disease and intake rate of added sugars. The researchers came up with findings that were revealing and had substantial evidence to back up their claims.

The study found that participants who received one-fourth of their daily calorie requirement from added sugars were twice as vulnerable to die from a heart attack compared to those who took less than 10% sugar with their meals. Taken as a whole, an individual’s chances of dying from infarction (heart attack) went up concomitantly with a corresponding rise in added sugar intake. This assertion or finding was not affected by an individual’s sex, age, level of physical activity, and weight. A majority of Americans tend to obtain a substantial quantity of added sugar from energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened colas and sodas which they consume heavily.

Of the total amount of refined sugars that all the Americans consume on a cumulative or collective basis, cold beverages sweetened with sugar represent over 33%. Breakfast cereals, cakes, ice-creams, cookies, biscuits, fruit juices and drinks, caramelized toffees, chocolates, frozen yogurts, and a host of other sweetened food items also accounted for intake of added sugar. Nutritionists, dieticians and health experts always suggest people consume a minimal quantity of added sugars and for good reasons.

Firstly, a high intake of processed sugars increases one’s weight abnormally leading to obesity and causes cavities in the teeth. Secondly, sugar supplies calories to your body that do not have any nutritional value. In other words, added sugars do not contain any mineral, fiber or vitamin. Taking a high amount of added sugar elbows out wholesome and healthy food items from your diet depriving your body of the essential nutrients it needs every day to keep you in the pink of health.

Was there a possibility that researchers involved in the trial may have erred at some stage while carrying out the study implying that added sugar wasn’t as harmful as it was made out to be? Chances of the scientists faltering were negligible as they took note of the ‘healthy eating index’ of the participants. The index was a measure or indicator of the conformity of their diets with nutritional guidelines outlined by the US federal authorities.

Dr. Teresa Fung of the Harvard School of Public Health opened ‘regardless of their ‘healthy eating index’ scores, people who ate more sugar still had higher cardiovascular mortality’. Nevertheless, the researchers have not been able to figure out in what way or ways could intake of excess added sugar could adversely affect the normal functioning of a heart. Dr. Fung advises you to include fresh fruits in your everyday diet without adding sugar if you wish to keep your heart in good health.

There is an increasing body of scientific literature which shows that exercising is not only good for your physical fitness, but also for your mental health as well. A recent review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows this effect in the 50+ year old population in particular. The results were seen in groups which had a previous cognitive decline in their medical histories as well as those who were healthy with no mental notes in their medical history. In total, the review looked at 39 different studies published over the last 25 years and looked at the impact of moderate or high-intensity exercise done over a 45 to 60-minute period.

The review hypothesizes that the reason for this benefit may be due to increased blood vessel and brain cell density which comes with exercise in certain parts of the brain. This would make sense from a physiological standpoint and is perhaps explained by the increased blood flow attributed to exercise including blood flowing to the head and brain. However, no conclusions can be made on the physiological impact that exercise has without further study specifically looking at that.

It is important to critically evaluate the review as well as the studies included in it before coming to any conclusions as there are different methodologies, each with its own ups and downs. Furthermore, some of the control groups displayed changes in their mental health as well, suggesting potential impact from extraneous variables too. This study is really good from a hypothesis-generation standpoint, however, and may lead to more conclusive support in the future.

Based on the review, and if the findings hold true, there are several tips that may eventually be of benefit for patients to follow. One is to opt for aerobic exercise which can not only help the brain but also the heart- the latter which has a strong body of evidence behind it. Aerobic exercise includes things like running, walking, and swimming. Incorporating any of these activities into your schedule in a regimented and regular way can have a very big positive impact on your health. In addition, doing some resistance-based exercise can help too. Tai chi may be a gentler option for someone looking for a more meditative experience. This may have other positive mental effects too and help reduce stress, etc. It is also great for people who may not be able to do very strenuous exercises due to other conditions or limitations. Finally, combining exercises is the best option if possible as you are likely to get something different from each type of exercise. Again, this should be catered to your personal goals as well as medical limitations. Consulting your doctor on a new workout plan is the best route if you have that option.

Exercising can have many health benefits from improving your cognitive function to cardiovascular benefit to potentially even increasing strength and reducing the risk of accidental injuries. Try to find something you like and stick with it and you are bound to see some sort of results.